Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-15
THE INDEPENDENT FARMER.

Laborers.
THE INDEPENDENT FARMER.
The occupation Of farming is praised
by many because it enables those en-.
gagged in it to be to a great extent in.
dependent. The farmer certainly can
direct his own affairs, rs there is no
association or union TO tell him when
he shall work and when he shall re-
main idle. He Is free TO exercise hi,
own Judgment in relation to how he
manages his place, what he shall raise,
and how he shall dispose Of it. He is
at liberty to work eight or eighteen
hours each day lie is not liable to be
assessed for the support Of persons
engaged in strikes for shorter hours or
higher wages. He is never called
upon TO engage in parades or to assist
In making demonstrations. He ,Sn
buy labor in the cheapest market. and
is not obliged TO confer with any per
son except those he employs about the
time or method of payment He can
have his work performed by hand or
by the use Of machines. He is lord Of
his own acres, be they few or many.
He is not likely to be injured by strikes
of the class Of men whom he employs
in doing work. In this respect he is
in 2 more independent position than
| manufacturers, contractors, and rail-
way managers.
A farmer may be measurably Jude
pendent in the matter of obtaining
supplies He may, if he has the means
and is given sufficient time, raise
nearly everything he requires for sup
plying his table. He can arrange for
having beef, pork, mutton, and
variety of fowls, all of his own rails
ing. He should never go away from
his farm to obtain eggs, milk, butter,
and cheese. He should have ain
abundance and a great variety Of
vegetables and small fruits in their
season. He should have pond whore
he can raise carp and other fish for his
! table. With a good cellar he will find
no difficulty in keeping large fruits,
| potatoes, garden vegetables, and
many other articles OF food over the
winter Ii he has an ice-house, he
can keep fresh meat, fowls, fish,
| pcrishabIc fruits, and cooked food in
it for several days. BY keeping bees
a substitute Tor s,rup can be obtained
without cost. With a few acres IN
forest trees a supply of fuel will be
provided.
A farmer who has arranged for pro-
| duciug nearly everything for supply
| ing his table, who has ON his place
wood for fuel and timber for tcuce-
posts, comes about rs near being lnde-
pendent as man can be. He has
! little TO pay and rs a consequence does
| not need have very much to sell. 4
| horse that can be raised on the place
viii sell for enough to buy good ear
riage and harness. The few grocery
| bills can be paid with eggs and butter.
The increase Of stock beyond the num-
! Der of animals that can be kept on the
place will sell for enough to pay taxes
and for clothing, furniture, and tools,
| A farmer who Is in g Condition to do
all these things may not be very
wealthy, but he will be provided with
all the necessities for comfort. He
viii also have many of the things that
are generally classed among the luNu-
ries. He can have leisure and the
means for enjoying it. He will have
no anxiety about keeping his house
warm if there is scarcity OF coal
and the roads are drifted high with
snow, with no way of getting to
town to obtain groceries and proyis-
ions, ne will find that his "table is
spread, not only with nourshng
food, but with that which tempt, and
| delights the appetite
Although it appears TO be easy to
become an independent farmer, COM
paratNuiy few who own and occupy
farms can be regarded as such. rhe
| farmer who mas mortgage on his
Iplacs is far from being independent.
/ His earnings are pledged till such tima
| MS his secured debt is paid in full.
There is "a cloud ON ttle, and am
other one on his hopes He IS con-
| stantlY anxious i'm relation to how he
is to raise money TO meet his indebted
ness. The farmer whose name is at
| tached to several chattel mortgages,
who has outstanding notes, store
| debts and miscellaneous obligations
| is dependent on tho mercy Of his cred
itors. They viii expect him TO sell
meat that he raises as soon at it is in
condition to send to market, whether
/ prices are high or low. The farmer
who is Obliged to sell nearly all the
| product, of his place in order to pnr-
chase fuel and provisions is almost as
far from a state OF Independence as
the day laborer i'm large city who is
obliged to buy everything he eats and
| burns The farmer who first seeks
and finds @ position of Independence
| viii obtain what wealth combined
with anxiety can not procure.-tat
/ e1g3 Times
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